Why does Lenz's law have a minus sign?

The minus sign shows that the direction of induced current always opposes the change that created it. So when certain metals are cropped through say a copper tube they slow down. Show video of Lenz's law in action. The current is induced in the opposite direction to ensure that energy is conserved and not created from nothing.
When pushing a magnet into a coil, if you push the North pole towards the coil first then a North pole is induced in the coil to repel the magnet. The magnet is slowed down and repelled by the coil, the kinetic energy here is dissipated as heat.

JJ
Answered by Joseph J. Physics tutor

1813 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

A truck with mass 1200kg is moving at 8m/s when it collides head-on with a stationary car of mass 800kg. As they collide, the vehicles move together with the same velocity, v. Calculate this velocity.


On a speed/time graph: a) how would a constant deceleration be illustrated? b) how would you use the graph to calculate total distance travelled?


Explain how resonance occurs for a driven oscillating system and describe the effect of damping on the resonant frequency.


Describe how the strong nuclear force between nucleons varies with seperation of the nucleons.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2025

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences